Sault Ste. Marie teams travel to Hatchet Invitational

BY PAUL P. ADAMS Tribune Sports Editor

Published
3:17 pm EDT, Monday, September 10, 2018

The Sault Ste. Marie cross country teams had a successful trip to the Upper Thumb, as the girls placed first at the Hatchet Invitational and the boys were runner-up. The Blue Devils made their first appearance in Bad Axe in five years, as part of their Lower Peninsula rotation. (Paul P. Adams/Huron Daily Tribune)

The Sault Ste. Marie cross country teams had a successful trip to the Upper Thumb, as the girls placed first at the Hatchet Invitational and the boys were runner-up. The Blue Devils made their first appearance

The Sault Ste. Marie cross country teams had a successful trip to the Upper Thumb, as the girls placed first at the Hatchet Invitational and the boys were runner-up. The Blue Devils made their first appearance in Bad Axe in five years, as part of their Lower Peninsula rotation. (Paul P. Adams/Huron Daily Tribune)

The Sault Ste. Marie cross country teams had a successful trip to the Upper Thumb, as the girls placed first at the Hatchet Invitational and the boys were runner-up. The Blue Devils made their first appearance

Martin met former Bad Axe cross country coach Lee Kahler nearly two decades ago and struck up a friendship.

"I was like where's Bad Axe," Martin said. "He talked me into coming down here and we really enjoy it."

Friday night, the teams from Bad Axe and Sault Ste. Marie had a chance to get to know each other, as they had dinner at the Pasta House, in Kinde.

"That's one of the highlights of coming is eating there and breaking bread with the Bad Axe teams," Martin said.

The Sault Ste. Marie program has been highly successful since 2000.

The boys have three Division 1 state titles (2000, 2001, 2012) and four runner-ups during that span, while the girls won the 2016 Division 1 state championship and have six runner-up finishes.

"Our state finals is in Munising, it's a good flat, fast course, with long straightaways and long grass, which is exactly what this is," Martin said about the Hatchet Invitational course.When the Sault Ste. Marie program embarks on a journey like this, it's a business trip.

The athletes have to turn in their cell phones and other devices to the coaching staff.

"When you go on a trip like this, we try to limit the distractions," Martin said. "All they have is each other."

It's also about getting the athletes seen by recruiters and coaches.

"Up in the U.P., it's hard to get runners recruited, so we're trying to get them as much exposure as we can," Martin said. "Down here, we've had kids move on to Michigan State, Navy and others."